Relay device



C. E. FISHER RELAY DEVICE Nov. 10, 1953 Filed Aug. 19, 1952 I NVENTOR. C L H/PENCE EESHEE fir-r0 nucy.

Patented Nov. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,658,961 RELAY Diivic'ii Clarence E. Fisher, Culver City; Calif. Application August 19, 1952, Serial Nb". 305,168

2 Claims.

This invention belongs to that general class of devices known as electrical units and relates particularly to relays and the like. The invention has among its objects the production' of a means of the kind essence that is simple, durable and coin-pact in tur'e, relatively inexpensive to make and manufacture, dependable and efiieient use and service and which is very satisfactory for use whenever and wherever found applicable.

one of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a relay unit that can pass all the shock, vibration, acceleration, deceleration, and centrifugal tests conducted by the Army and Navy Departments. Ceramic washers and spacers are employed instead of Bakelite and other weaker type or such aux-nar elements so that the relay can stand high temperatures without failure.

Other objects, advantages and features of this particular invention will appear from a careful perusal of the accompanying" drawings, the sub joined and detailed de'scription, the preamble of these specifications, and the claims appended hereto.

Below, applicant describes one of the preferable forms of his invention in order to teach the art thereof and show how to make and use the same. but it is to be understood that the drawings and description thereof are not to limit the invention in any sense whatsoever except as the same may be limited by the prior pertinent art.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical view of a preferred form of the invention with parts being in section and parts in elevational view, and the section taken substantially along the line l--l of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device;

Figure 3 is a horizontal view taken substantially along the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal View taken along the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a broken sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a part of the invention.

The particular form of the invention, as illus trated, comprises a base plate I having the screws 2 therethrough which are adapted to firm- 1y hold the plate onto any suitable main support-- ing means such as the wall 3. Mounted upon the base plate, there is an electromagnetic coil t having the top magnetic button structure 5 which extends from the central iron core of the coil. The detail and structure of the coil is not shown as the coil itself is of any suitable manufacture, and no claim is made to its novelty.

Fi'iie'd to the button structures, there is a top plate 6 cohfigurated as shown; and which has end holes that accommodate the elongatedholding' bolts 1 and 8, as shown. In order'to' protect the various parts of the device from electrical contact with the bolts, each bolt is providedwith an insulating sleeve 9: The bolts securely hold the top plate, base plate and coil together as'an integm unit, and also other parts of the device. An integral base plate portion l-(l extends upright and has a top curved portion which provides the integral and spaced ears H and 12' that sup"- port the cross pinf l3. An armature element or lift bar Illis pivoted to this pin. The armature has the button contactpo'rtion l5 and a lifter end I 6, and because of its pivota'ble mounting, it is free to have a see-saw action.

The bolts, or posts, position and hold together a plurality of fixed and movable metallic spaced apart contact sup orting members I! and [8, respecuve1'y,as well as a spring member H) at the bottom end of the stack. All the foregoing members are spaced from each other, and the bottom plate I by the plurality of ceramic insulating spacer washers 20, and the top larger spacer washer 2| spaces the top fixed member from the top plate 6', as shown. In this manner, all the current carrying members are entirely insulated from each other, and from the main support bolts or posts 1 and 8' because of the sleeves.

All the hired Contact members are alike and their configuration can be seen clearly in Fig. 2. Each one of these members has a front bar '22 with its ends curving toward the rear where it has the wire connector holes 23, and the enlarged portions thereof having the holes 24 to accommodate the bolts 1 and 8 with their respective insulating sleeves. Each front bar has the pair of spaced contact buttons 25 and 26 for making contact with similar buttons on the movable members I8. The buttons on the front bar may be underneath or on top thereof depending upon which side they contact the buttons on the movable members.

Each movable member I8 is resilient and configurated as clearly shown in Fig. 3. It has a front bar 2! with the offset legs 28 and 29 formed by their respective integral curved portions 30 and 3|, as shown. This configuration is in a somewhat M form or W form. The end of each leg portion is provided with a hole 32 and at about the middle of each leg portion, there is a hole to accommodate either the bolt 1 or the bolt 8. At the center of the front bar, there is an integral projection 33 which may be termed a tongue. On the top and bottom sides or the spring movable member Hi, there are the pairs of spaced contact buttons 34 which are provided to make and break contact with the similar buttons 25 and 26 on the fixed member [1. Each leg of the movable member I8 is provided with. top and button spring fingers or shock absorbing springs 35 and 36 for the purpose of damping any vibratory action of their respective front bars 21.

At the front portion of the device, there is a vertically arranged bar or lift element or yoke 31 provided with a top slot 38 and a plurality of spaced apart slots 39; these latter mentioned slots being positioned and arranged to receive the tongues 33 of the movable spring members It and the bottom slot 40 receives a similar tongue upon the spring member IS. The top slot 38 receives the lifter end [B of the armature so that every time the armature is drawn to the magnetic button 5, it lifts all the spring contact members 18 for the obvious purpose of making their respective contact buttons close one or more circuits for making electrical contact with the fixed members 11.

Various electrical circuits are opened and closed when the wires thereof are connected to the movable and fixed members 18 and 11 at their respective holes 32 and 32' and 23. The electromagnet coil 4 is energized by a separate circuit when the wires thereof are connected to the terminal tabs 4! and 42; that is, when current is made to flow through the coil 4 via terminals 4| and 42, the armature end I5 is drawn onto the core button 5 and this action lifts the movable members H! to make contact with the fixed members l1 through their contact buttons; and this action also lifts the bottom spring I9 so that when the coil 4 is deenergized, the bar 31 is made to snap-return to it lowermost position.

A very important advantage of this device over other known devices is that the contact memhers I"! and [8 are positive in their mutual contact when the bar 31 is lifted and positive in their normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, when the bar is released by the armature 14. The contact is positive and set because the springs 35-36 dampen vibration in cooperation and combination with the spring [9 which holds the bar 31 under tension, and also due to the inward position of the contact buttons 34 on the movable member [8. The position of all said buttons 34 is offset toward the coil 4 and thus deflnitely are not in the direct vibratory loop area because they are sufliciently set back to be in the node area of action of the members l8. Therefore, when applicants device is installed in aircraft and other devices which may run into high-G vibrations, the relay device herein claimed will have positive action and can be depended upon to function perfectly under such conditions and hold their contact for smooth current transmission.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of form, style, design, materials and construction of the whole or any part of the spe cifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof; such changes and possible modifications are considered as being within the scope of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a relay unit comprising a base with a pair of spaced apart upright posts, a plurality of sets of contact members supported by the posts and base and insulated from each other, each set of members comprising a resilient member with a fiXd member on each top and bottom side and spaced from each other, all the members having contacts which are in vertical alinement and de signed to make contact with one another depending upon the movement of the resilient member of each set, each resilient member having the horizontal surface thereof in the general form of the letter M with its contact positioned near the meeting portions of the middle legs thereof so as to avoid strong loop vibrations.

2. The unit recited in claim 1 wherein the mid dle legs of the resilient members are short and joined together by a cross bar, and the said cross bar supporting the contacts thereof.

CLARENCE E. FISHER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,269,917 Field June 18, 1918 2,077,091 Brander Apr. 13, 1937 2,282,687 Vigren et al. May 12, 194=2 

